Training During Her Suspension, Boyanka Kostova Is Just Insanely Strong

Azerbaijani weightlifter Boyanka Kostova is currently serving a suspension after a positive retest from the 2012 London Olympics, but that doesn’t mean the reigning 58kg World Champion and World Record holder has paused training. (An upheld suspension could mean Kostova loses her titles and records since 2012 — including a World Championship and two European Championships.)

Kostova recently released a series of videos on her Facebook page, including training lifts well over the current 58kg world records and squats that would dominate at most international powerlifting competitions. It’s worth pointing out we don’t have confirmation of her bodyweight for these lifts, and these were all performed under untested circumstances and out of competition.

Here’s a 200kg front squat, which is 59 kilograms above the clean & jerk record in her weight class.

Then there’s a 210kg (462 pound) back squat double, which would hold up or beat most geared lifts on the international powerlifting stage.

Kostova also posted a 118kg snatch, 6 kilograms above her own world record in the lift.

And finally, here’s a 145kg clean & jerk, which is 4kg above the current 58kg world record.

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